My husband, Steven, and I both enjoyed attending the Strat-O-Matic Convention in Champaign-Urbana this past summer. My husband enjoyed it so because for the first time since he had been playing S-O-M games [since 1966], he had the opportunity to play face-to-face with some "real gamers"; people he had read about and associated with the game and Review For a number of years.

The reason I enjoyed the convention was because it also gave me the chance to meet so many of the "gamers" who, until then, it was hard to believe were so enthusiastic about the game.

It was very exciting to see the one-on-one play and the games being won or lost by a throw of the die. Rick Shapiro was our host for the event and I thought he did a wonderful job in organizing and planning the convention.

The trip to Champaign-Urbana was not just a trip to a convention, but was a mini-vacation for Steven and I. And I must say it was enjoyed as much as any vacation we have taken in recent years. I cannot say enough about the beauty of the campus at C-U; I really had not been to many league campuses and C-U was very impressive. I cannot think of where else we might have gone for a vacation that would have us meeting so many new and interesting people from all ages, all walks of life, and all areas of the United States.

What was unusual to me about most of the "gamers" we met was the youth of the S-O-M players. It was as though we were meeting many of the geniuses of the future.

Truly the convention was a place you could go to meet anyone, any age, any walk of life and be on equal footing with--at least until the first throw of the dice.

I hope next year if the convention is again held at C-U, it will draw more people from the midwest than it did last year. Also, just a note to say not only my husband, but also my brother, Tom Orf, is a very enthusiastic S-O-M gamer.

Editor's note: Steven Walters graduated from Potosi High School in 1965, attended Mineral Area Junior College for one and one-half years and graduated from Sanford-Brown Business College [St. Louis, MO) in 1973 with a degree in Data Processing. It was at Sanford-Brown that the Walters' first met. From 1967-71 he was in the service, spending most of his tour of duty in Hawaii as part of the Army's Pacific Area Defense Communication Agency, which handled all communications between the mainland and such places as Vietnam, Korea, Japan,
Guam and the Philippines, and for which he had to have a top secret clearance
classification. He's currently employed as a drilling contractor for St. Joe Lead Company, located near Potosi. Steven is currently playing in the World Baseball Association and a 1966 draft play-by-mail league, plus in March or April he will add membership in the Young Executive and Fly By Night Baseball Leagues to his gaming habit.